Finance Ministry seeks to save by verifying social payments

The verification of welfare payments is now under way.

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Natalie Jaresko

The Finance Ministry has launched a comprehensive campaign to verify the recipients of social payments. Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko expects the budget to save 5bn hryvnyas [184m dollars] in 2016 as a result.

"Our goal is not to decrease spending but to make it more effective and targeted... Verification absolutely does not mean that that social payments will be cancelled, it does not put good citizens at risk. Our goal is to identify swindlers and those who are not entitled to that kind of social assistance," she said at a news conference on 1 March, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

She added that data would be taken from official sources only, therefore citizens are not expected to experience any discomfort.

According to her deputy Roman Kachur, the first verification will be completed by 1 July and will be held regularly afterwards.

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